Where does “schoolboys” come from?
schoolboys (English) comes from English schoolboy, from English school, from Middle English scole, from Old English scōl, from Proto-Germanic *skōlu, from Latin schola, from Ancient Greek σχολή, from Proto-Hellenic skʰolā́ — to hold; to overpower.
schoolboys (English): plural of schoolboy
Ancestry of “schoolboys”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | schoolboy | A boy attending school; characteristic of a... |
| 2 | English | school | A group of fish or a group of marine mammals such... |
| 3 | Middle English | scole | school |
| 4 | Old English | scōl | place of education |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | *skōlu | — |
| 6 | Latin | schola | Leisure time given to learning; schooltime,... |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | σχολή | leisure, free time; rest; that in which leisure... |
| 8 | Proto-Hellenic | skʰolā́ | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | sǵʰ-h₃-léh₂ | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | seǵʰ- | to hold; to overpower |